DIY Projects

How to make a hidden magnetic hinge for a fold‑flat pop-up that survives the post

I love sending small paper sculptures through the post — there's something delicious about a flat envelope that unfolds into a little surprise at the other end. But post is brutal: bends, slams, sorting machines. Early on I discovered the easiest part of a pop‑up project to fail in transit is...

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How to make a hidden magnetic hinge for a fold‑flat pop-up that survives the post

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Which cheap 3d printer filaments hold fine detail for pocket sculptures and how to finish them Tutorials

Which cheap 3d printer filaments hold fine detail for pocket sculptures and how to finish them

I love making tiny sculptures you can tuck in a pocket — little characters,...

Aug 10 Read more...
How to design a one-sheet lenticular illusion for a postcard using household inks DIY Projects

How to design a one-sheet lenticular illusion for a postcard using household inks

I love tiny optical tricks that make people do a double-take — a simple flip...

Aug 07 Read more...
How to build a pocket-sized parallax viewer that makes a single drawing feel like a layered diorama DIY Projects

How to build a pocket-sized parallax viewer that makes a single drawing feel like a layered diorama

I’ve been obsessed with small mechanical tricks for as long as I can remember...

Jul 12 Read more...
Turn discarded matchboxes into a three‑scene flipbook theater with secret hinges and stamped backgrounds DIY Projects

Turn discarded matchboxes into a three‑scene flipbook theater with secret hinges and stamped backgrounds

I love giving small, ordinary objects a second life, and matchboxes are one of...

Jul 08 Read more...

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DIY Projects Jul 12, 2026

How to build a pocket-sized parallax viewer that makes a single drawing feel like a layered diorama

I’ve been obsessed with small mechanical tricks for as long as I can remember — the kind of thing that fits in your hand and transforms a simple sketch into a tiny world. This pocket-sized parallax viewer is one of my favourite make-at-home...

DIY Projects Jul 08, 2026

Turn discarded matchboxes into a three‑scene flipbook theater with secret hinges and stamped backgrounds

I love giving small, ordinary objects a second life, and matchboxes are one of my favourite starting points. They’re the perfect scale for tiny stagecraft: deep enough to create a little set, wide enough to tell a short story, and charmingly...

Tutorials Jul 08, 2026

Step-by-step: paint convincing iridescent book covers with interference medium and dry‑brushing for miniature props

I love tiny things that feel like they hold secrets — miniature books are one of my favourite props for dioramas, still lifes and stop-motion setups. One detail that instantly makes a small book feel like it belongs to another world is an...

Tutorials Jul 06, 2026

Teach a 45‑minute workshop to make a solderless LED halo with coin cells for tiny theatrical props

I love teaching short hands-on sessions that leave people with something enchanting to take home, and a 45‑minute solderless LED halo for tiny theatrical props is one of my favourites. It’s quick, tactile, and full of small surprises—perfect...

DIY Projects Jun 27, 2026

How to build a coin‑hidden pop‑up that reveals a tiny illustration when spun

I love small mechanical surprises — the ones that make you tilt your head and grin. This coin‑hidden pop‑up is one of my favourite tiny tricks: a simple paper mechanism that hides a coin (or small token) and, when you spin it, reveals a tiny...

DIY Projects Jun 26, 2026

How to make a pocket-sized kaleidoscope using thrifted mirror tiles and a 3D‑printed tube

I’ve always loved tiny moments of surprise: a pattern that shifts when you tilt it, a little mechanism that hides a trick in plain sight. Recently I wanted a pocket-sized kaleidoscope that felt handmade, playful and a little rough around the edges...

Tutorials Jun 14, 2026

How to design a three-card flipbook that teaches timing and character motion to beginners

I love simple tools that reveal surprising motion, and a three-card flipbook is one of my favourite pocket-sized experiments. It’s small, fast to make, and brilliantly instructive for beginners learning about timing, keyframes and how slight...

Tutorials Jun 10, 2026

How to photograph miniature reflective water with a smartphone and two inexpensive diffusers

I’m obsessed with tiny, believable worlds — and one small trick I return to again and again is photographing miniature water. When you get the light and reflections right, a scrap of resin or a puddle of gloss medium can read as a pond, a...

Tutorials May 29, 2026

Teach a 30-minute paper automaton workshop for kids 8–12 using three reusable templates

Running a quick, joyful paper automaton workshop for kids aged 8–12 is one of my favourite ways to introduce mechanical thinking, storytelling and a bit of theatre to a classroom or birthday party. I designed this session to fit into a 30-minute...

DIY Projects May 22, 2026

How to design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise illustration and fits a standard uk stamp

I love a small, secret moment in the mail — something that looks ordinary from the outside but opens to reveal a little bit of mischief. In this piece I’ll walk you through how I design an instant pop-up postcard that conceals a surprise...